This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 9-284807 filed in Japan on Oct. 17, 1997 the content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an image output device and an image output method to print image data sent from multiple image data sources.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, digital copying machines have been proposed wherein an image reader that reads the original document and outputs image data and a printer that prints the image data from this image reader are constructed as one unit. Some of these digital copying machines have controllers corresponding to each data source in order to make it possible to print image data from a personal computer or image data sent via facsimile transmission. Digital copying machines that can print image data from multiple data sources will be referred to below as multi-function digital copying machines.
Printing systems that may be used as copying machines have also been commercialized, in which a printer connected to a personal computer is connected to an image reader such that the image data obtained by reading the original document by means of the image reader may be directly transmitted to the printer and printed.
With these multi-function copying machines or printing systems, many original documents may be efficiently handled by the image reader by using an automatic document feeder (ADF), as in the case of regular copying machines.
However, in these conventional devices, when the image of the original document set on the automatic document feeder is read by the image reader and the copy job operation to perform printing starts, printing of image data from other image data sources is prohibited until the first job is completed. During the execution of a copy job operation, however, the process to receive print jobs from other image data sources, i.e., the process to receive data and store it, is performed.
In the conventional devices, when the image reading by the image reader is suspended due to a paper jam in the automatic document feeder or a failure of the original document illuminating lamp, printing of images from other image data sources is not performed. A problem therefore exists that from the viewpoint of other image data sources, the printer is virtually inoperable (unusable) and the jobs are put on hold until the problem in regard to the reading operation is eliminated.
The present invention was created in consideration of this situation. One of its objects is to provide an improved image output device and an improved image output method.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image output device and an image output method with improved ease of use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an image output method that reduces the need to suspend output operations when a problem has occurred in regard to the reading operation, while maintaining the convenience of reading and outputting the original document.
In order to attain these and other objects, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the original document reading operation is suspended because a problem has occurred in the feeding of the original document in the automatic document feeder or due to a failure of the image reader, the operation mode in which the read image data is output is maintained until a preset time period elapses, and when the preset time period has elapsed, the operation mode is changed to another operation mode in which image data from other image data sources may be output, for example. If the problem is eliminated before the preset time period elapses, the output of the read image is resumed without switching to the other operation mode.
If the operation mode is changed immediately when a problem occurs, even when the problem is minor, such as a paper jam that can be eliminated in a short period of time, printing of images from other image data sources may begin while the user is still working to eliminate the problem. When that happens, sheets of print jobs from other image data sources are ejected onto the eject paper tray and become commingled with the sheets of the copy job for the current original document, which forces the user to sort them. On the other hand, if the operation mode is changed after a preset time period elapses, the user can work to eliminate the problem without rushing and thereafter restart the copy job. In addition, by limiting the time that other image data sources must wait until the preset time period has elapsed (recovery waiting period), the inconvenience that printing of printable print jobs from external devices is not executed may be eliminated.